Editorial: Concordia’s New Wellness Centre—Let’s Give Credit Where It’s Due

On Nov. 13, Concordia University’s Wellness Centre opened its doors at its new location on the third floor of the Guy-De Maisonneuve building.

The eight-month project cost $3.2 million, most of which was spent on services that will directly impact students. We believe that is money well spent.

The centre houses various student services all in the same location: the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities, Accommodated Exams, Counselling and Psychological Services, the Student Advocacy Office and International Students Office have all just moved into the space.

Moving these services onto the same floor makes it easier for students to access them, and it means that collaboration between the services can occur more naturally which can further benefit students. With four elevators alongside doorways and bathrooms adapted for students with reduced mobility, an emphasis was put on accessibility when designing the Wellness Centre.

Here are the services that have moved into the centre:

The ACSD and Accommodated Exams are services that are offered to students with a variety of disability conditions, be it physical or psychological. The centre offers accessibility advising, note-taking, workshops on topics relating to disability and learning strategies support from specialists, among other things. With the new space, exam accommodation services can be available at the same location, instead of being moved around from classroom to classroom. `

Counselling and Psychological Services offer psychologists, psychotherapists and counselors for students suffering from anxiety, stress or psychological health issues. They offer workshops and groups as well as hold events on the topics of mental health and wellness.

The Student Advocacy Office is available to students who are facing infractions under the Academic Code of Conduct or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities, such as plagiarism. The office can help students in this situation understand what their options are and prepare for appeals processes. It also takes a proactive approach to infractions under these two codes with the use of flyers, in-class presentations or one-on-one sessions with advisors.

The International Students Office offers resources and services for students either already at Concordia or planning to enroll at the university. Regarding anything from visas and immigration to health insurance to adapt to living in Canada, the ISO helps to better the experience for the thousands of international students on campus.

We commend the university on their effort to facilitate student access to these crucial services and encourage students to take advantage of services provided at the university’s new Wellness Centre.